Senior Medical Director - EMS

Alberta Health Services is
committed to providing services based on the population needs of Alberta while
promoting a shared responsibility for improved health.

The Senior Medical Director
(SMD) works in a dyad relationship with the Chief Paramedic/Senior Provincial
Director to provide operational, medical and clinical leadership to the
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Program. The SMD shall be proactive in the strategic
development of projects and services, in partnership with the EMS Senior
Leadership Team, to maximize the benefit of EMS to the Province as a whole.

Ideally, this position will
be based in either Edmonton or Calgary with occasional provincial and national
travel required.

The working title will be
Senior Medical Director, Emergency Medical Services.

ACCOUNTABILITIES /
DELIVERABLES

In partnership with the Chief
Paramedic, the Senior Medical Director, EMS is responsible for developing,
implementing and operating a provincial emergency medical services model. In addition, as a key member of the EMS
Senior Leadership Team (SLT), the SMD is accountable for all operational and
strategic AHS issues and decisions requiring physician or leadership that arise within
the Emergency Medical Services portfolio.

In a competent and
professional manner, the Senior Medical Director will:

1.Actively
participate in the ongoing development and implementation of a provincial EMS
strategic plan including pre-hospital emergency response, dispatch services,
inter-facility transfers, Community paramedics, and provincial air ambulance;

2.Be accountable
for the provision of clinical oversight for EMS professionals employed by or
affiliated with AHS, including required clinical policies and medical control
protocols;

7.Serve as Co-Chair
of the EMS Research Committee. Receive, review and approve EMS research
projects within the guidelines of the Committee. Provide leadership and
guidance to the EMS Research program.

8.Actively
participate with other AHS strategic and operational portfolios, including
Strategic Clinical Networks, the Chief Medical Officer and the AHS Senior
Leadership Team, to deliver the AHS mission of a patient-centred health system
with focus on Access, Quality and Sustainability.

LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS

The Emergency Health Services
(Interim) Regulation (2009) establishes the medical oversight structure for EMS
in Alberta. The Regulation identifies the Provincial Medical Director and
medical directors within the health region. The Provincial Medical Director is
the highest level of medical oversight authority and is responsible to work
with regions to develop, establish, and maintain medical care protocols,
oversee direction provided by health region medical directors, and may make
directives regarding medical care and oversight of the EMS system.

The Regulation defines a
medical director's qualifications as:

S. 9(2) A regional health
authority must not employ or engage a person as a medical director unless that
person; (a) is a physician who is registered as a medical practitioner under
the Medical Profession Act within Alberta and who is not under suspension, (b)
has emergency department privileges in an Alberta hospital, and (c) has
completed the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP) Medical Director
course, or an equivalent course or program, or has equivalent experience

Duties of a medical director

S10 Every person who is
employed or engaged as a medical director under this Regulation must; (a)
consult with the Provincial Medical Director on the development and maintenance
of medical protocols when requested to do so by the Provincial Medical Director,
(b) provide direction to an ambulance attendant (ambulance) or ambulance
operator, (c) monitor compliance with the direction provided to an ambulance
attendant (ambulance) or to an ambulance operator in the and manner
required by a regional health authority or the Provincial Medical Director, and
(d) comply with any directive issued, or reporting requirement made, by the
Provincial Medical Director.

In the Alberta Health
Services context, the Senior Medical Director is the of EMS medical oversight
who oversees all AHS EMS medical Directors, and liaises consults with the
Provincial Medical Director to ensure AHS meets expectations and requirements
under the Emergency Health Services Act.

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Specialist Certification through the Royal College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or a Certificate of Special Competence in
Emergency Medicine through the College of Family Physicians of Canada, or
equivalent. Licensed (or eligible for licensure) to practice Medicine in
Alberta.

2.A practicing Emergency Medicine clinician with at least 5
years of front-line experience.

6.Graduate level degree in health, business or related
discipline would be considered an asset.

7.Health care leadership training or experience. Completion of
Physician Leadership Institute programs with acquisition of the Canadian
Certification in Physician Leadership designation or certificate would be an
asset.

8.Experience within a Provincial Ground Ambulance, Air
Ambulance, Dispatch/Online Medical Control environment would be an asset.